A public hearing was held on Tuesday, November 20 to discuss a variety of items on Niverville council’s agenda.
Two conditional use hearings were held, the first of which was a request by Truenergy Source Inc. to establish a commercial business in the business park. The ten-year old company is proposing a 3,600-square-foot building to be used for corporate administration and sales. While they will continue to provide geothermal services, they have expanded into fiberoptics as well. They anticipate the possibility of hiring new employees in the new year.
The second conditional use hearing was for Southeastern Veterinary Clinic (SVC) to establish business in the old Manitoba Hydro building. Council was able to provide owner Ronald Hamilton assurance that the current industrial zoning in the area will not inhibit his business model. SVC anticipates opening their doors for business in approximately six months’ time, following a complete renovation of the interior and exterior of the building. At this stage, the clinic will only provide small animal services and pet food sales.
Niverville in Bloom, the local chapter of Communities in Bloom (CIB), made a presentation to council which included an overview of all their achievements in the 2018 year. In time for council’s planning meetings, set for November 30 and December 1, they also provided a wish list for the coming 2019 year.
Some items on their wish list include the replacement of an aging fence on Main Street with a historical fence, an annual Arbor Day celebration at Hespeler Park, the establishment of an action plan for a graffiti-free community, and development of some historical interest for “Old Niverville” by creating street signs indicating the original names used when the community was first established.
Upon recommendation from CIB judges, presenter Annette Fast suggested that council could look at replacing the welcome signs on the east and west entries into town. CIB judges had indicated to the committee that the existing signs appear more like they are advertising a recreation complex than a town.
Mayor Myron Dyck indicated that this has already been a conversation around council’s table. At this stage, they are awaiting answers from Manitoba Infrastructure regarding the future installation of roundabouts at either entry into town. Should this become a reality, council would consider new welcome signage to be placed in the middle of the traffic circles.
Council also gave first reading to the Staff and Council Remuneration bylaws. A proposal was made to allow for a 2.1 percent cost-of-living increase to staff payroll in 2019. Further to that, council would also see an increase in gross wages in the coming year.
According to CAO Eric King, the federal government recently announced that they would no longer be allowing for a tax exemption which could be applied to one-third of Canadian council members’ wages. Without this tax exemption, council members would be seeing a drop in net pay in the coming year. With that in mind, council’s proposal recommends that a Niverville council member’s gross pay be increased to bring them to the same net pay they would see had the federal law not been changed.
“The decision is always between trying to be as fiscally responsible as possible for the sake of the ratepayer,” says Mayor Dyck, “versus ensuring there is enough there to have municipal leaders that believe that what is being offered is worth their time and effort to put in. Councils all throughout the country are dealing with this.”
Finally, on Wednesday, November 28, council will be meeting with the RCMP “D” Division to discuss the model of policing used in the RM of Springfield. That RM’s hybrid model facilitates the use of both private and public police services. Mayor Dyck indicates that a report should also be available sometime in January from the retired RCMP officer whom council commissioned earlier this year to prepare a report for policing alternatives in the community.
